Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind is an international creativity and problem-solving competition open to students in grades kindergarten through college. Odyssey provides the framework for teams of five to seven students to work together and come up with their own creative solutions to open-ended problems. No two solutions ever come out the same. The more wild and crazy—or just out-of-the-ordinary—a solution is, the better when it comes to Odyssey.
The Hayes Foundation has been supporting Odyssey teams for several years. Over the years Hayes teams have built—among other things—a human-powered hamster wheel; a pneumatic-powered, inch-worming, golf-ball-shooting, ping-pong-ball-blasting, hockey-puck-flinging Snoopy’s dog house; a hand-powered, foot-steered OOPS vehicle, and a Richard Simmons robot powered by a bicycle modified to generate electricity. These teams have performed well at the Vermont State competition and have gone on to compete at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals competition.
The Hayes Foundation has been supporting Odyssey teams for several years. Over the years Hayes teams have built—among other things—a human-powered hamster wheel; a pneumatic-powered, inch-worming, golf-ball-shooting, ping-pong-ball-blasting, hockey-puck-flinging Snoopy’s dog house; a hand-powered, foot-steered OOPS vehicle, and a Richard Simmons robot powered by a bicycle modified to generate electricity. These teams have performed well at the Vermont State competition and have gone on to compete at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals competition.
In 2008 the Hayes team took First Place in Problem One, Division III. In 2009 the Hayes team again took First Place in Problem One, Division III, having the highest Long-Term and Spontaneous scores. In addition, they won a Ranatra Fusca award for Outstanding Creativity in Vehicle Design.
Awarded for outstandingly creative vehicle design and operation.
The exercising Richard Simmons vehicle had color-changing eyes, retracting hair and bulging muscles, all activated automatically by switches flipped as the vehicle traveled along a team created track. The track itself provided three separate channels of power for the vehicle. Creativity poured out of this team like sweat off Richard Simmons.
Photos from our 2009 Odyssey of the Mind team
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Photos from our 2008 Odyssey of the Mind team
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